About three thousand Nigerian young persons will undergo critical cultural tourism training in China, strategically billed to reduce unemployment and crime, and also to mobilize the youths to drive the Nigerian creative cultural tourism economy.

The cheering development was brokered by the Director General, National Council for Arts and Culture( NCAC) otunba Segun Runsewe, who is leading an African delegation to the International Culture Tourism Reform for Developing Nations put together by the Chinese government and Academic International for International Business Officials ( AIBO) .

Speaking to news men on the sidelines of the forum in Beijing, China, Runsewe, who also doubles as President, World Craft Council ( WCC) Africa Region, explained that the training opportunities and exposures for young Nigerians to acquire new skills is not just limited to pure cultural tourism economy but on technological breakthroughs and innovations.

” The meetings were strategic, successful, and eye opener to how our youths can benefit from training by the Chinese who are ready to partner and support us to bring about three thousand young persons from Nigeria at first instance to undergo diverse areas of trainings , in such area such as manufacturing of chips and even on electrical car production” Runsewe stated, adding “it will be a new beginning for us as a nation and for our young persons as the collaboration will bear verifiable gains to our immediate and future capacity building ecosystem in cultural tourism and technology ecosystems”.

Runsewe further disclosed that the Chinese training offer will take up about 0ne hundred young persons per state in the country, which will help reduce crime and unemployment and be beneficial to rural development and job creation.

” Am excited about this opportunity for our young persons in Nigeria. It is no elephant project, and we know how committed the Chinese are to promises to us a nation, and this is certainly huge. On arrival back in Nigeria, we shall, in earnest, put up strategies to actualize these milestones, ” Runsewe clarified.

In an address to the open forum on Public cultural Reforms and Health Development for Developing countries, Runsewe urged all government top functionaries in developing nations to pay serious attention to cultural tourism issues as its the bedrock of peace and security in the world.

“For tourism to thrive, attention must be paid to public washrooms as no tourist wants to visit a place or destination with a dirty washroom. There’s no denying the fact that people are attracted to places that are good-looking as cleaness is next to godliness, ” Runsewe admonished

The Director General, National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC), Otunba Segun Runsewe (OON), has described the proprietor of Nike Art Gallery, Mrs. (Chief) Oyenike Monica Okudaye, as a woman of substance with an overriding motivation to revolutionize and empower young men and women with Creative Skills not only in the Arts and Crafts, but also in traditional Adire making that will make them self-employed and employers of labour in the nearest future.

Runsewe stated this during his visit to Nike Art Gallery on airport road in Abuja.

Runsewe in conjunction with the major stakeholders in the culture and Tourism industry gathered at Nike Art Gallery to celebrate the commitment, hardwork, creative, ingenuity and sheer resilience of an outstanding personality in the Art and Culture sector Mrs Nike Okudaye.

Runsewe added that Nike Art Gallery with centres in Osogbo, Lagos, Kogi and now in Abuja is providing employment for thousands of unemployed Nigerians.

He noted that the numerous activities of Mama Nike in the Art Galleries are impacting on Nigerian economy by contributing to our Gross Domestic Products (GDP) and stimulating overall economic growth.

Runsewe pointed out that Mama Nike Art Galleries have become veritable platforms for research and academic scholarship noting that the Nike Art Gallery in Osogbo now admits undergraduate student in tertiary institutions in Nigeria, Canada and USA for Industrial Training programme in Textile Design, Traditional Arts and Culture, Yoruba Adire fabric processing and African Dyeing method.

In responding, Chief Oyenike Monica Okudaye popularly known as Mama Nike, expressed her appreciation for all the efforts and contributions that the Director General of National Council for Arts and Culture, Otunba Segun Runsewe has put into making the Abuja branch of Nike Arts Gallery a reality.

She added that Runsewe has contributed so much in the cultural industry and has been so supportive from the conception stage of her art gallery to the stage it is now.

She also expressed her deepest appreciation to Runsewe and the management and staff of National Council for Arts and Culture for their support all through the years.

Answering questions from the journalists, the Director General, National Council for Arts and Culture, Otunba Segun Runsewe, enjoined the journalists to tell the world that there is an Ultra-modern Gallery in Abuja that is comparable to the ones outside the country.

He enjoined every Nigerian to consider Nike Art Gallery as a Destination Marketing strategy in Cultural Tourism.

Director General, National Council for Arts and Culture ( NCAC) otunba Segun Runsewe says the uproar created by the production of a new film, GANG OF LAGOS, calls for strategic rethinking on cultural related narratives by film makers in Nigeria in order to avoid public resentments and reactions.

Runsewe pleaded with the lagos state government and the good people of lagos, to forgive the infractions contained in the flick, assuring to arrest such Cultural insensitivity headlong.

Gang of Lagos had depicted the iconic Eyo masquerade as enabler of violence, drawing angry reactions from Cultural groups in lagos Island and from the state government which described it a misrepresentation of cultural ethos of Eyo masquerade and insulting to the tradition and history of lagosians.

Runsewe who doubles as President, World Craft Council, Africa Region, noted that Eyo masquerade is one of the key cultural tourism products, associated with the history of Lagos nay Nigerian culture, and advised film makers, to be well guided when producing for public consumption, films on Nigerian cultural history so as not provoke tension and irritations across the country.

“Lagos State government, for instance has invested and continues to champion the growth of the Creative sector, targeting young persons for training in all aspects of film making and production, with community theatre halls built at each its local geospace and even with Jk Randle Yoruba Museum, where researches on Yoruba culture and tradition, can be learnt first hand, so films with narratives on the ways of the life our people must trend on best acceptable and sensitive information profiling ” Runsewe admonished.

Though the world of Creativity is said to hold no boundaries, Runsewe noted that when it comes to cultural narratives, careful measures, strategic profiling, dedicated investigation and request to collaborate with custodians of national cultural and traditional institutions should be thoroughly considered and consulted.

“During the last Nafest festival in lagos, we at NCAC wrote to the Oba of lagos, requesting the participation of the iconic Eyo masquerade. We were made to appreciate and understand that Eyo masquerade public appearance is guided by certain traditional ethics and procedure, so we expect our film makers to follow same engagement route. Honestly, we at NCAC appreciate Nigerian film makers for the efforts to use such narratives, not only to contribute to national cultural tourism rebirth and acceptation, including its international cultural tourism value chain but we must advise that a cultural sensitivity context and content analysis should be part of both production and post production ecosystem. Runsewe stated further.

The NCAC boss informed that a one day cultural conference, evaluating and focal on all areas of cultural tourism diversity and sensitivity, will hold before the end of this month in Abuja by the apex cultural agency.